1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pickup trucks and more particularly to an adjustable cargo rack for hauling elongated or oversized cargo on small or mid-size pickup trucks.
A pickup truck has a forward cab and a horizontal rearward cargo bed having a forward wall and upstanding side walls, and a rearward tail gate. Wheel wells project into the cargo bed at opposite sides thereof and in small and mid-size pickup trucks the spacing between these wheel wells is insufficient to carry standard size sheet material such as 4 feet wide sheetrock or plywood.
This invention solves this problem by providing an adjustable rack which supports standard size sheet material at dual elevations above the upper limit of the pickup bed side walls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several types of framework also called utility racks are presently installed on pickup trucks. Some of these racks are adjustable for carrying various lengths of items such as ladders, pipe, or lumber. Other racks are stationary and permanently attached to the pickup bed which is intended for a particular type of work, but frequently restricts the use of the truck in recreational use or transporting oversize cargo in the bed thereof. The type of utility rack which has an over-the-cab ladder rack all materials must be lifted to a height of approximately 6 feet and are therefore difficult to load and unload. This type of rack also reduces the useable cargo space in the bed.
The most pertinent prior patent known to me is U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,324 issued Mar. 26, 1991 to Griffin for COMPACTABLE UTILITY RACK FOR PICKUP TRUCK. This patent features forward and rearward substantially inverted U-shaped stanchions removably secured to side rails overlying the respective side walls of the pickup bed for adjusting the spacing between the inverted U-shaped stanchions which each have a top or bight portion lying in the horizontal plane of the pickup bed top and therefore necessitate elevating heavy construction materials to a height at least in the elevation of the pickup cab top.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,262 issued Jun. 24, 1975 to Brunel for FOLDING CARRIER RACK FOR PICK-UP TRUCKS and U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,337 issued Mar. 2, 1993 to McDaniel for COLLAPSIBLE PIPE RACK FOR PICKUP TRUCKS are believed good examples of the further state-of-the-art. The Brunel patent also features forward and rearward inverted U-shaped stanchions mounted in the bed of a pickup truck at the cab and tailgate end portions in which each stanchion is foldable toward the other to lie flat on the pickup bed when not in use. The McDaniel patent features a rectangular framework having longitudinal lower side rails secured at respective ends with the depending end portion of posts insertable into the side wall pockets of a pickup bed and support a rectangular framework at their upper ends including a U-shaped member extending over a pickup cab and a removable top rear rail. Both of these state-of-the-art patents have the disadvantage all cargo supported thereby is in the plane of the cab top.
This invention, in addition to being adjustable for various sizes of pickup beds of pickup trucks has the added feature of supporting oversize construction material in a plane above the upper limit of the pickup bed and above any conventional tool box, usually carried at the forward end portion of a pickup bed, and which is simple in construction and is easily erected or disassembled.